A Bar Revelation
by Kastilo Shepherd
Summary: An redone intro to an AU in where Balto is the king of an independent Alaska. Steele is washed up after the events of the movie, and after a talk with a bartender in the capital of Nome, has a giant revelation in regards to a certain half-breed and what he means towards the husky. However forgiveness isn't given or earned lightly, especially after what he pulled.


The bar was crowded, the sea of people dressed in colorful attire & party hates taking their drinks down one by one and the sound of the bar in full swing as humans and animals stood all in a collective crowd near the back as a smell of booze and food wafted throughout. To the side, away from the noise was a canine, with a dirty white fur that seemed to gray dominated by a contrasting black coat and hair as dark as the night's sky. The clothes he wore contrasted the rest of the bar other than the bartender, with a black coat and pants blending into his fur but that, like his fur seemed to be coming undone and wreaked of the same booze in the air but strong enough to pack a punch to the nostrils of anyone near him. On his table an army of empty glasses stood on the table as he lay his head down in his arms, which crossed together to cradle his head. Ears folded back, eyes avoidant to the patrons at the bar he huffed and even as a fellow patron missing him with a paper ball that was a flea's height away from hitting him didn't faze him. Getting up he walked to the front to the bartender, wobbling with every step he took.

"May I get another round in the table to the back?," He said with a voice that was gruff and deep, but faltering in it's tone as he grabbed hold of the glistening wooden like island, straightening himself out enough to stand eye height to the tender, but still keeping his head low.

"Listen, I can't in good faith let you have anymore. You're invited to sit down here for a bit if you want however," said the tender, a human with a dark chocolate skin and a suit with a vest to match the husky's own fur. The voice seemed to match the husky's own, with a more assertive tone to it as he attempted to look at the husky's eyes, but was unsuccessful as his head stayed low. The canine took the words, sitting down at the stool and laying going back to his position he took back at his table to which the bartender came back to as he finished serving a nearby customer's drink ", What's bothering you buddy?".

"If I did tell you wouldn't believe me or outright hate me for it," the canine replied with a voice muffled by the coat he wore covering his mouth as he spoke.

"I won't judge," the tender said cleaning the island with a rag while keeping his sight on the canine.

"You know the history of King Balto correct?"

"Of course, he was a sled dog in the 1920's during the diphtheria outbreak, saved the children from dying when he delivered the serum and brought here by Queen Shepherd of Nuak after the revolt was put down"

"Remember that selfish husky, Steele? The one that jeopardized the town's children with his selfish bullshit?"

"Yes, they say he ran out of town after he tried to lie about the serum's destruction by Balto's paws"

"Well, you're looking at the bastard"

The bartender looked at the canine for a minute, his eyes straining as he squinted before taking a big laugh.

"That's a good joke," the tender said in between his laughs, catching his breath as the canine didn't join in his laughter ", Oh shit you're serious".

The tender stood for a minute, taking note of a nearby patron and serving another drink before his eyes settled upon the husky again pulling a breath ", Why'd you do it exactly?".

Steele took a minute, taking a deep breath as if his lungs were crushed like an empty soda can before sighing

"Selfishness, I never wanted Balto to get my place. It was mine for so long and he just walks in and tries to take it! The stupid mutt! He wanted to take what I had, for good reason when I look back. I bullied him to a corner tore his confidence more than it was already by the humans' own fear of his half wolf status. But it's not my fault I was raised that way!" Steele said, picking his head up and now audible however somewhat softer as he bore into deeper into his words as tender leaned into the island opposite of Steele

"I'm not going to argue your competitive upbringing may have played a part in your actions, can you really say that you're actions weren't entirely your own? Do you really think shifting the blame and finding excuses is going to help?"

"No," Steele said as his voice broke, the gruff and deep turning into a whisper.

"Then why the hell are you doing it?"

"I want to believe I am a better person, I want others to believe I am better now. I want him to believe I am better," Steele said, his voice coming back like if someone was turning up the volume. With the last sentence the white fur on his cheeks turning a slight pinkish color as the bartender's eyebrows raised at the reaction, changing his pose, crossing his arms and leaning on the island still.

"Why do you care so much for his approval? Because of his power?"

"No, I want to get up into his face and look him straight into his amber and yellow fucking eyes to tell the half breed I changed. The eyes that seem to haunt my nightmares and him sure are now my personal hell every day to remember"

"That's a pretty specific description of his eyes don't you think?"

"Just stating what the half breed has, eyes that seem to be able to drill into your head. No different than describing his thick coat of tan fur or the blackness of his nose, or the smiles he pulls off that almost are a smug as mine"

The bartender's eyebrows were as raised as ever, his mouth ajar a slight bit and eyes blinking as he darted them around for a minute and quick as lightning looking back towards Steele.

"You sure you're not hiding something?"

"Like what? Wanting to punch his smug muzzle into his skull? Wanting to feel his muzzle on mine? Wanting to-," Steele said as he trailed off, the his chest expanding and collapsing quicker than usual as his facial expressions turned borderline unreadable for a split second before his eyes trembled in his skull before he faceplanted into the island tabletop ", Fuck".

"Guessing this Jenna chick isn't the only thing you had affections for," The tender said straightening up and turning around to the wall of different bottle colors, shapes, and liquid colors that stretched forever. Settling for one, he poured a little into a glass and gave it to Steele who's face remained on the island's tabletop.

"It really doesn't matter anyways, any chance of telling Balto how I feel is gone, I'm not only a monster in his eyes, and everyone elses', but he's a King now! I'm not going to get the chance to speak to him, the moment he sees my name he'll reject my name from the damn pile!," Steele said picking his head back up, finishing his words followed by the drink soon after.

"Look man, you're tab is on the house tonight, on one condition"

"What is it then?"

"I'll invite King Riddle to the bar next week, he likes visiting shops around the capital and see Nome thriving. You're going to be here, cleaned up, and you're going to tell him exactly how you feel"

"No way! I'd rather pay the fucking tab"

"Last I checked you spent nearly 400ß on drinks"

"How much is that in dollars again?"

"$430"

"Deal"

 _The Next Week_

The cheerful attitude of the bar seemed to have not changed, almost as if time was just repeating in there and just there with the same colorful attire and cheerful mood. The smell of booze and food still hung in the air and the patrons loud as ever. In the front, the tender stood adjacent to Steele, who was now in a suit that matched the bartender's own save for now an overcoat instead of a black vest. The dirty white fur was now as white as a fluffy cloud in the sky and his hair and fur combed and under control. Breathing in he raised his paw a bit above his head as he sat straight in his seat, the tender sliding a drink to him as he drank it down as quick as possible and put his face in his paws, a groan coming from Steele.

"Are you sure this will work?," Steele said looking around the bar and towards the entrance, going at a glacier pace as the door to the outside came closer to the center of his view ", Are you sure he'll even show up today?"

"Trust me, the bunch of Secret Service guys coming in minutes before opening makes me damn sure he'll show," the tender said, a side of his mouth sliding into a line to the side as he gave a slight eyeroll. As if on cue, the door opened, as a polar bear dressed in suit like coat and pants stepped into the bar, followed by another canine who was dressed in a green coat and black pants. Steele looked at the canine, eyes widening, and darting all over the canine as if trying to scan him into his brain. As the canine took off the coat, he wore a similar colored shirt to his coat and a brown thick collar that complemented the tan fur that covered him, and his amber and yellow eyes that stood out in all of it. On the head of messy hair sat a crown that was modest in show but was still noticeable enough to anyone. Steele glazed for several seconds as the canine spoke to the polar bear before turning away from the canine, using his paw to block the side view of his face. As the canine approached the front, the bartender smiled and raised a hand to the canine ", King Riddle, so nice to see you again".

"Please David, it's just Balto, I don't like being called stuff like that," the canine said, taking a seat next to Steele and shaking the bartender's hand before turning over to Steele as he tilted his head a slight bit ", Hey, do I know you? You look a bit familiar".

Steele took a breath and turned around, Balto's pupils shrinking and opening his mouth. It seemed to move in what seemed to be words but was silent.

"Look, before you say anything half br- Balto. I want to tell you something," Steele said interrupting his own words and as quick as he could correcting himself. Balto closed his mouth and nodded at the husky, making direct eye contact causing the husky to twitch a slight bit in his seat ", I know I was a dick in the past for what I did back in 1925 and for nearly causing the death of Rosy and the rest of the town. I came to ask for forgiveness from you".

Balto looked at Steele, closing his eyes a halfway and darting his gaze at everyone but Steele and returning

"Steele, what you did was unforgivable, and the fact you want to just want me to throw that away and forget it ever happened is even more so. The only reason you're not arrested is because of the statue of limitations," Balto said, earning a glare from Steele, which caused him to back away a bit and the polar bear to rise from his seat nearby before Balto moved his paw in a downwards motion, which caused the polar bear in turn to sit down again.

"I don't want instant forgiveness Balto, I want to earn it. Ever since I left Nome all those decades ago, I've had something on my mind and not even for the reasons I thought," Steele took a small pause, breathing in one more time and scrunching up his eyes to avoid Balto's own ", You, it was you. I hated you, I hated how you took my place. I hated the mere thought of you, you were my own personal hell! But it was because I wanted something with you. It seems cliche but, humility is all I needed, well that and it seems a bartender and a few drinks to to through my thick skull. Balto let me make it up to you at least, even if you don't want to be with me, I want to at least be at peace now with this feeling".

Steele grabbed Balto in a quick motion, the polar bear tensing up and standing so fast it seemed instantaneous before Steele kissed Balto straight on the muzzle for a solid few seconds. The whole bar went silent as if no one was there anymore, but the opposite was true, as everyone watched with wide eyes and open mouths as Balto was kissed by the canine that so long ago hated his guts. When the contact ended, Steele attempted to jump out of the seat, but was stopped by a paw holding his arm, causing him to look back at its owner.

"Steele, if what you said is true, then I'm happy to give you a second chance to prove yourself. But this is your last chance and it doesn't mean I forgive you. I want to see if you're telling the truth, and if you are, I'd be willing to give a relationship a chance. I won't defend your actions either if we are together either or even now, and they are yours to defend and come to terms with on your own, is that clear?"

Steele hugged Balto, holding a tight grip on the canine, a smile coming onto his muzzle, not one of malicious intent, or smugness, but a genuine smile as both canines stayed close, Balto giving a puzzled look with eyebrows raised and mouth zagged, but hugged back anyways.


End file.
